No exchange of sweets along Indo-Pak border on Eid

NEW DELHI: The customary exchange of sweets between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers along the International Border did not take place on Monday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, officials said.

The unilateral downgrading of diplomatic ties by Pakistan with India in the wake of the Modi government's decision to revoke provisions of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir is being seen as a reason for the non-conduct of the ceremony.

They said the Pakistani side refused to attend the ceremony after the Border Security Force (BSF) sent across official communication to exchange sweets and greetings along the IB running through Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

"The customary event did not take place at any location along the India-Pakistan border on the occasion of Eid al-Adha on Monday," a senior official said.

The two forces that are deployed along the over 3,000 kms of this border exchange sweets on major festivals such as Eid, Holi, Diwali and their respective national days.

However, a similar exchange of sweets between BSF personnel and their Bangladeshi counterparts, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), took place at designated locations along the 4,096-km frontier shard by the two countries.

Senior commanders of the two forces exchanged best wishes and presented sweets to each other as part of the existing friendly protocol along the Bangladesh border, the official said.